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Blood on the River

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Not since the Muppets’ “Pigs in Space” have people had so many feelings about hogs. When we wrote about Blood on the River — Tank Jackson’s Lowcountry Boucherie live pig butchering — the internet had all kinds of feelings, namely of the PETA variety. Yes, Blood on the River allowed chefs and guests to watch a heritage hog get shot in the head, then shaved, then cut down for nearly a dozen dishes. And yes, it was a rather violent affair — Game of Thrones’ Red Wedding had less blood­ — but it was a necessary evil, and one that takes place daily and with far less humanity in factory farms across the nation. If only the animal rights activists could see the kindness shown to this pig, the care and concern that its entirety be used to nourish those in attendance, I believe they’d begin to understand that events like this bring us closer to our food and make us more respectful of the animals we eat. I know I eat bacon now with a lot more reverence — and I didn’t believe that was possible. —Kinsey Gidick